Pecott - Self Guided Great Glen Way

On arrival at the original end of the Way (the old signpost should still be standing, ie just as you approach the Edinburgh Woollen Mill), you will be at the Glen Nevis roundabout. Follow the West Highland Way signs along Belford Road towards the town centre and you will soon pass a swimming pool on your left hand side (Lochaber Leisure Centre). Look out for the first left after the pool (signposted Victoria Road) since this is the turning for Guisachan upon your return from the end of the Way. Therefore, continue to follow the West Highland Way signs along Belford Road until you reach the town centre. Walk through the pedestrian precinct until you reach the end of the Way and ‘Sore Feet’ in Gordon Square at the west end of town. To make your way to Guisachan, simply retrace your steps through the precinct, back on to Belford Road. After passing the Belford Hospital turn right up Victoria Road (which leads shortly on to Alma Road), walk for a short distance up the hill and you will see Guisachan on the corner.

Fort William sits on Loch Linnhe with the majestic Ben Nevis, at 1344m Britain’s highest mountain, as its backdrop. The town takes its name from the fort that William Prince of Orange built in 1690. Fort William was successfully held by government troops during the Jacobite uprisings of 1715 and 1745. However, the surrounding area saw great turmoil. Today, such a bloody past is difficult to imagine and the town is the main centre for visitors to the Western Highlands.

Coire Glas is situated in the village of Spean Bridge which is 3 miles/4.8 km from the official stage end, ie Gairlochy locks.  Since this is a relativelyeasy section of the route, you may wish to actually continue your walk into Spean Bridge itself and visit the Commando Memorial on the way. Alternatively,a transfer service is available from the b&b.  If a transfer is required then on your arrival at Gairlochy Locks, please telephone Coire Glas and the patrons willbe pleased to send transport to transfer you from Gairlochy to Spean Bridge.  If you decide to walk into Spean Bridge, then the directions are as follows.Your walk along the canal will take you to the canal locks at Gairlochy. Do not continue along the canal but instead turn right and take the small tarmac road(B8004) which winds initially downhill. Simply continue on this road for approximately 2 miles/3.25 km until you reach the Commando War Memorial whichsits at the junction of the B8004 and the main A82 roads. At this point you can either walk down the main A82 road for one mile/1.6 km into Spean Bridge(there is a good pavement) or take the new off-road track which also leads down into Spean Bridge but is longer, ie 2 miles/3.2 km (see the attached map).

Once into the village you will reach a road branching off to the left (sign-posted Roy Bridge). Turn left and walk along the road until you reach Coire Glas onthe left hand side. Your patrons will be pleased to welcome guests any time after 1530 hrs but they will accept calls for picks ups from 1500 hrs onwards.The next morning, your patrons will be pleased to transfer you back to Gairlochy locks to continue your walk.

Spean Bridge is best known for its historical links with the Allied Commando Training during the Second World War. Thousands of troops came to Spean Bridge to train for war in the surrounding mountains and lochs, based at Achnacarry Castle. A mile north of Spean Bridge on a prominent hillside by the A82 is the world famous Commando Memorial, erected to commemorate the service and sacrifice of the men and women who served their countries.

On the latter stage of the route you will be walking along a tarmac road. As you approach the end of Loch Lochy (past Kilfinnan) you will arrive at a junction where the road goes steeply uphill in front of you. Do not walk uphill but instead go right and cross the cattle grid and walk down the road, passing by a row of wooden chalets on your left hand side (you should now be looking down Loch Lochy to your right). Continue along the road until you reach Laggan Locks. On arrival at the Locks cross the canal at the gates, turn left following the Great Glen Way signage and walk following the canal bank (past the Eagle Barge) and then through a wooded area (for approximately 0.5 miles/0.80 km) until you reach a small wooden bridge (do not cross this). Turn right to face the main road (A82), turn right again and walk down the road (using the grass verge) for approximately 0.5 miles/0.80 km to reach Forest Lodge on the right hand side of the road (once you pass the Great Glen Hostel you will see Forest Lodge in the distance). Please take care along this busy road. Alternatively, Forest Lodge can collect you from South Laggan Locks between 1500 hrs & 1700 hrs and this is recommended (a voluntary contribution towards fuel would be greatly appreciated, eg £2.00 per person). Please either call Forest Lodge on your way to Laggan Locks or upon arrival, thank you. Please see the following page for tomorrow morning’s directions.

Kindly Provided by Forest Lodge
From December 2022 until December 2024 essential forestry work will be taking place meaning the main path along the south side of Loch Oich will not be accessible and, therefore, Great Glen Way walkers will need to take the Invergarry Link route between South Laggan and Fort Augustus. This route is actually the original Great Glen Way route, it is clearly signposted with blue Great Glen Way marker posts, it has wide forestry tracks and is a very pleasant and well used route by walkers and locals alike. Please find below directions on how to access the Invergarry Link route from Forest Lodge Guest House. However, we would also be happy to drop clients off at the entrance to the forestry track which is the beginning of the Invergarry Link. If you walk from Forest Lodge then the distance to Fort Augustus is 12 miles/19.5 km and if you take us up on the lift then it is 11 miles/18 km.

Directions to the Invergarry Link route from Forest Lodge Guest House
Turn left out of the driveway, walk along the A82 (on the grass verge) until you reach the gap on the left hand side that takes you back onto the Great Glen Way. Turn right over the small wooden bridge and follow the canal path through the wooded area, along the side of the canal until it brings you out onto the corner of the main A82 road by Laggan swing bridge.
Cross the A82 and turn left, crossing the swing bridge using the footpath and following the Great Glen Way signpost. Follow the footpath over the swing bridge, past the bus stop (at this point you will cross back over the A82). Continue along the path until you reach a forest track entrance on your left hand side, clearly marked by a blue Great Glen Way marker post. Take this forest track, this is the Invergarry Link route. This track takes you into Invergarry and the path continues up the left hand side of the Invergarry Hotel, taking you to the Aberchalder Bridge at Bridge of Oich where both routes join together to take you along the canal towpath and into Fort Augustus.
This whole route is waymarked with blue Great Glen Way marker posts and clearly detailed in Great Glen Way trail books.

You will be walking through land owned by the Cameron’s of Lochiel. Nearby is Clunes where Bonnie Prince Charlie hid in a cave for two weeks after his escape from Culloden. South Laggan saw the Clan Battle of the Shirts in 1544 (Gaelic: Blar na Léine, also the Battle of Kinloch-Lochy). The Clan Donald and their allies Clan Cameron fought the Clan Fraser and men from Clan Grant. Legend has it that the day was so hot that both sides threw off their plaids, fighting in their shirts. However, Blar na Léine is merely a corruption of Blar na Leana, ‘the Field of the Swampy Meadow.’

Your walk will take you to the main A82 road which runs through the village of Fort Augustus. Turn left and walk through the village, over the bridge andcontinue all the way the through the village until you pass the bus lanes and the end of the car park (the latter on your left hand side). Continue on until yousee a left turn signposted for Morag’s Lodge and Jenkins Park. Turn left and walk up the hill and you will pass the Village Hall on the left hand side of theroad and Rose Cottage is situated a short distance further on, situated on the right hand side of the road in an elevated position.

Fort Augustus is named after King George II’s younger son, Prince William Augustus the Duke of Cumberland, also known as ‘Butcher Cumberland’ as he suppressed and destroyed the highlanders and their clan system. In the aftermath of the final ‘clan’ defeat at Culloden in 1746 Augustus made his headquarters in the fort named after him 25 years earlier. Very little remains of the original fort, parts of which were incorporated into the Benedictine Abbey built in 1876. The monks left in 1998 when they were unable to sustain their community and the abbey. The original Gaelic name of the village was Cille Chumein (the church of Chumein).

Running through the village is the River Oich and the impressive Caledonian Canal and lock system built by Thomas Telford in the early 1800’s. Next to the locks is the Caledonian Canal Heritage Centre which gives an insight into the history of the canal. Also in the village is the Clansman Centre where you can learn about clan life 500 years ago.

The Great Glen Way will take you down on to the main (A82) road. Turn left and head towards the village until you reach the junction where the A82 and the A887 road to Skye meet. Turn left and walk along the A887 road (ie signposted Skye). Continue along this road for approximately 55 yards/50 metres then turn right up the hill on the tiny road just after the Clog & Craft Shop and Craik Na Dav is on your right, clearly signposted.

Invermoriston dates back to circa 1600 and in the 1640’s a sawmill was in operation processing the surrounding forests for export by boat. The military roads were built along the Great Glen in the 1700’s and passed to the east side of Loch Ness, leaving Invermoriston heavily dependent on water transport. The first roads were built by Thomas Telford in 1813 along the west side of Loch Ness and towards Glen Shiel. This small village is steeped in Jacobite romance, like the legendary Seven Men of Moriston and rebel hero Roderick MacKenzie, killed in 1745 by English Soldiers who mistook him for Bonny Prince Charlie.

The village’s most popular attraction is the old Telford Bridge which crosses the spectacular River Moriston falls. This bridge was part of the main road between Drumnadrochit and Fort Augustus. A new bridge was built in the 1930’s and still carries a stream of traffic today.

The latter stages of the route towards Drumnadrochit will take you down the hill past Clunebeg Lodge and on to the A82 main road. Turn left and walk along the road, passing through the village of Lewiston until you reach Drumnadrochit village. Continue to follow the road which will sweep round to the right and passes by the Drumnadrochit Hotel and Loch Ness Monster Centre. Continue along the main road (there is a pavement) until you see the sign for Drumbuie Farm on the left hand side.

Drumnadrochit lies on the West shore of Loch Ness at the head of Glen Urquhart and is the main centre for Monster watching! The first sighting of the Loch Ness Monster was made by Saint Columba in the sixth century and millions of people have visited the Loch since then with the same ambition. There are two exhibitions in the village devoted to Nessie. The centre of Drumnadrochit is very attractive with a village green and a splendid miniature model of Urquhart Castle made from hedges and plants. The magnificently situated Urquhart Castle, just south of the town on the banks of Loch Ness, remains an impressive stronghold despite its ruinous state. Once one of Scotland’s largest castles, Urquhart’s remains include a tower house that commands splendid views of the famous loch and Great Glen. The castle’s history and that of the noble families, Durward, Macdonald and Grant, is told in the exhibition in the visitor centre.

From the end of the Way exit, the Castle grounds through the main gate. Continue downhill for 125 yards/110 metres and turn right onto Castle Road. With the River Ness on your left continue along Castle Road and soon you will reach Young Street Bridge on the left. Cross the bridge and continue straight on after crossing. You will pass Huntly Street on your right and then you will soon reach a turning to the right for King Street. Turn right and walk down King Street until you arrive at a T-junction which leads on to Greig Street. Turn left and walk up Greig Street for a short distance until you reach Eskdale clearly signposted on the right hand side of the road.

Inverness, the Capital of the Highlands, became Scotland’s fifth city at the millennium. It lies at the north end of the Great Glen, where the River Ness flows into the Moray Firth. The origins of Inverness lie on its western edge at the now wooded crag of Craig Phadrig. A fortress atop this crag was a capital of the Pictish kings from as early as the 400’s AD. A settlement was established by sixth century AD with the first royal charter being granted in the thirteenth century. In 1727 Fort George was built in the town, a large fortress capable of housing 400 troops. Fort George surrendered to the Jacobites when they took Inverness in February 1746 before their eventual defeat at nearby Culloden in April that year. After the garrison had surrendered the Jacobites laid explosives and destroyed Fort George. The red stone Inverness Castle you see today was built in the 1830s to house courts and administrative buildings.